The Nigerian government has secured an interim forfeiture order from the Federal High Court in Abuja to seize N2.4 billion and properties allegedly linked to a former Managing Director of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), Haruna Momoh.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, on Monday, the ICPC alleged Mr Momoh illegally acquired the said monies and properties.
The ICPC said the properties to be forfeited are Plot 199, Ebitu Ukiwe Street, Utako, Nos. 21, 22, 23 and 26 Olympia Estate, Kaura District, Plot 1824, Cadastral Zone, BO7, Katampe, plot 1827, Cadastral Zone, BO7, Katampe and No. 6 Casamance street, Wuse Zone 3, all in Federal Capital, Abuja.
The commission said its investigations had also revealed that the former PPMC boss allegedly abused his position by using cronies and shell companies to divert government funds.
It added that the accused had unlawfully used different companies to secure contracts from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) without any corresponding evidence of execution.
”The ICPC had secured an interim forfeiture order from a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to seize the N2, 417, 037, 404 billion comprising of foreign and local currencies, stashed in multiple accounts in four different banks as well as five landed properties located in different parts of Abuja metropolis.
”He allegedly used Multi-Functions Nigeria Limited, Blaid Property limited and Blaid Construction Limited to carry out several unlawful activities running into billions of naira. Contracts were secured for the companies from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) without any corresponding evidence of execution.”
Massive sleaze
Also, the commission said it traced four bank accounts with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to Mr Momoh’s wife – in them was stashed the sum of N469.2 million in foreign and local currencies.
Also $1.7 million and N496.2 million respectively were found in an account with Union Bank.
”The wife has four bank accounts with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) where the combined sum of N469.2 million in foreign and local currencies was stashed and two other accounts with Union Bank, where the Commission found $1, 678, 975 million and N496, 137, 895 million respectively.
”ICPC further discovered Euro 173, 601.55, $5, 563.21 and N876, 209, 744 million three Stanbic IBTC bank accounts traced to Multi-functions Nigeria Limited and the sum of N800, 663.43 in Citibank also belonging to the same company.”
Justice Adeniyi, while granting the interim forfeiture, ruled that the money be placed in an interest-yielding escrow account in the name of ICPC.
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